Member of Parliament Dave Mackenzie Says Federal Program Helps Seniors Participate More Fully in Their Communities

January 18, 2008

WOODSTOCK, ON, — Mr. Dave MacKenzie, Member of Parliament for Oxford, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, and the Honourable Marjory LeBreton, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Secretary of State (Seniors), today congratulated the Drumbo Opportunity Centre on being selected to receive funding under the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). This will ensure that seniors in Drumbo and the township of Blandford-Blenheim, have the opportunity to participate and take an active leadership role within their communities.

Total funding of $25,000 is being provided for the project entitled “Creative Opportunities for Seniors.”

“The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country,” said Dave MacKenzie, M.P-Oxford. “These projects will encourage seniors to continue sharing their skills, wisdom and experience to benefit others.”

In Budget 2007, the Government of Canada announced an additional investment of $10 million per year for two new components of the NHSP, in order to raise awareness of elder abuse, and to provide capital assistance for upgrades to facilities and equipment used for existing seniors’ programs. Projects funded under these new components will be announced in the spring of 2008.

“The Drumbo Opportunity Centre is dedicated, in a large part, to the development and increase of reading and computer literacy in its service area of Blandford-Blenheim Township. This funding will be used toward that mission with the specific goal of bringing youth and seniors together in a cooperative effort to benefit from each others’ skills and experiences” stated Jim Gallagher, Secretary, Board of Directors of the Drumbo Opportunity Centre.

The federal government is also acting to address the needs of Canada’s seniors through the introduction of a series of important measures that include:

• establishing the National Seniors Council to advise the Government on issues of importance to older Canadians;
• enabling 1.6 million low-income seniors to benefit from increased monthly benefits available under the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), and to make a one-time application for the GIS. As long as these seniors file income tax returns every year, they will never have to reapply;
• providing more than $1 billion in tax relief to Canadian seniors and pensioners in Budget 2007;
• enabling seniors to build their retirement savings in Registered Pension Plans and Registered Retirement Savings Plans for an extra two years until age 71; and
• raising the amount that seniors can claim under the age credit on their tax returns for 2007. With less income taxed, seniors save more.
  

Since its launch, the NHSP has funded over 2,600 projects across Canada, inspiring seniors to bring their leadership, energy and skills to projects that benefit our communities. For more information about the Program, please visit http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/community
_partnerships/seniors/index.shtml.